Chapter 42: Trapping and Killing a Mad Dog
Lin Guantang still had some psychological barriers to shooting at a living person, and the third task seemed too ordinary - at least on the surface. So after weighing the pros and cons, Lin Guantang finally chose the first task.
It happened to be the weekend, so the next morning, Lin Guantang set off for his destination, Yanyin Town.
Before setting off, he changed into the dark combat uniform, helmet, goggles, and mask, which were also essential equipment. Although his task was to wait for the target to arrive at a fixed location and then shoot, without the chance to fight with the target, no one could guarantee that no accidents would happen.
After Lin Guantang changed into a full set of equipment and looked at himself in front of the mirror, he felt as if he was wrapped up like a vertical black dumpling. Ding Ruize was generous with his praise, saying that he looked like a sunny and good boy in his usual appearance, but after putting on this set of equipment, he looked very heroic and energetic. If he walked on the street, he would definitely attract a lot of attention - although Lin Guantang's original appearance was attractive enough, but the two had completely different attractions.
Although Lin Guantang himself felt that his words were not convincing, because after changing into the same combat uniform, he stood next to him and was obviously smaller, and his momentum was completely reduced.
However, arguing about such things was too childish, so Lin Guantang just shrugged his shoulders and prepared to leave.
Yanyin Town is an ordinary town under the jurisdiction of Jihe District near the imperial capital. It has few residents and few young people. The buildings seen along the way also show that they are quite old.
The destination of Lin Guantang and his team was an abandoned two-story building in Yanyin Town. Lin Guantang went up to the second floor and found the marked location before turning on the team communicator. Originally, this mission was a team cooperation task. Generally speaking, the team members should gather in the military academy before setting off for the destination.
But Lin Guantang was not a military academy student at all, so of course he couldn't set out with the others - in fact, setting out privately was not an uncommon thing. The tasks were all assigned in advance, and the distribution was clear, and there would almost no temporary changes. If there was something important that made it impossible to join the group departure, it didn't matter.
So no one questions this point, what they care about is another point.
As soon as Lin Guantang turned on the communicator, speculation and questioning about his identity came through the headset:
"Who is Lingchen? I've never heard of this code name."
"Have you heard of all the nearly 10,000 people in the school? Who cares? Just focus on your own tasks. Why worry so much?"
"Hey, hey, after all, we're in charge of the crucial shooting at point A. Shouldn't we find a veteran with good marksmanship? But I don't recall anyone with good marksmanship being called Lingchen. Even the brightest freshmen don't have that codename."
"Is it not okay for people to change their code names? It's not forbidden to change code names."
"No, I'm worried. Lingchen, tell me who you are. Tell me the truth so that everyone can be assured."
Lingchen is Lin Guantang's code name - this was Ding Ruize's suggestion. After all, he is not a formal student of the Central Military Academy. If he uses his real name when working on a mission with others, there will inevitably be some trouble. If he wants to have some peace and quiet, it is better to just use a code name. After all, military academy missions do not prohibit the use of code names, and some missions will force mission personnel to call each other by code names.
Lin Guantang used the code name "Lingchen".
Sure enough, someone came to ask about his origins, but since he had deliberately chosen a code name to hide his true identity, it was of course impossible for him to take the initiative to reveal his real name, otherwise it would be a waste of time.
Moreover, Lin Guantang also remembered some gossip about him that Yuan Wenjun had said, that he was not only famous in O Academy, but there seemed to be some rumors about him in other schools as well. If that was the case, then maybe someone in the military academy, or even in their group, had just heard of the name "O Academy Lin Guantang".
If this is true, compared to a stranger code-named member joining the mission, a person from the O Academy joining the military academy's mission would probably be more difficult for people to accept.
Although it is not impossible, the team members are very tolerant and accept the arrangement of O to be responsible for the key points, but Lin Guantang cannot gamble on a possibility that is not even 50%.
But everyone else was waiting for an answer, and as a member of the same group, it seemed impossible to just remain silent and not answer.
After a little thought, Lin Guantang came up with a perfect solution, which was -
"If you really want to know the answer, you can ask Huo Shizhen what my real name is."
A clear and pleasant voice suddenly rang out from the noisy group chat. Through the headphones, it sounded hazy, gentle, cold and distant, and still very immature. If nothing unexpected happened, it should be this year's freshman.
He is also a junior with a cold temperament and not a strong attitude.
Generally speaking, junior students are expected to be obedient, especially those who are a little introverted and weak like this, who are at the bottom of the social ladder. However, Huo Shizhen's bad reputation just makes up for this. Everyone was shocked by what Lin Guantang said and fell silent for a while. They really didn't dare to say anything offensive, otherwise he would be in big trouble if he went to Huo Shizhen to complain.
After a while, someone changed the tone very naturally and said:
"Then again, if it's someone recommended by the great demon king Huo, then his ability should be beyond doubt—wait, what did I just say...that Lingchen junior—should be the junior."
Lin Guantang sighed silently, thinking that Senior Huo's reputation was really useful - no matter how it worked, it successfully blocked the other members' doubts and immediately transformed the originally targeted tendencies into friendly exchanges.
Lin Guantang responded:
“I’m a freshman this year.”
The other party guessed that he was most likely a freshman, but obviously did not expect that the so-called freshman he meant was a freshman from O College and not a freshman from the Central Military Academy. After hearing his reply, he coughed and said in a rather flattering tone:
"Junior Lingchen, I think you are a good and generous junior. So you shouldn't secretly tell him about the senior who accidentally said that Senior Huo is the big devil, right?"
I didn’t expect that there would be inheritors of the ancient profession of fortune tellers in the Central Military Academy.
But what's there to report?... Besides, they're all code names, and it's our first time working together. Even if I wanted to complain, the names wouldn't match.
Lin Guantang laughed and said slowly:
"I guess he should know how everyone calls him behind his back, so don't worry, Senior Huo is not the kind of person who holds grudges. He won't take it out on others just because they call him a nickname."
It would be strange if it wasn’t!
The other team members who heard this comment almost all twisted their faces at the same time. The great devil Huo not only holds grudges, but he never leaves grudges unchecked. He knows that his nickname is one thing, but being said to his face is another. This is not a reason to ask for trouble.
Especially those in the executive department, how much they trusted Huo Shizhen, the boss - now should I say the former boss's ability, how much they feared his occasional training. Only those few trusted subordinates who admired Huo Shizhen very much had been sucked into the PUA, thinking that thunder and rain were all the emperor's grace...
Hiss - if that's the case, then Ling Chen admires Huo Shizhen so much and has excellent marksmanship that Huo Shizhen really took a fancy to him and gave him this opportunity to show himself.
But based on past experience, most people with good marksmanship go into the executive department.
Wow, this junior fellow must not be unaware that Huo Shizhen is no longer the head of the executive department, and that most of the affairs of the executive department have been handed over to Yin Zhiyou. In that case, doesn't his behavior now make him look like a military general who only showed his loyalty after the late emperor abdicated? He is destined to be cannon fodder for the new emperor who doesn't get along with the late emperor!
But now is obviously not the time to feel sorry for the tragic fate of my junior.
Another voice with a pleading tone came from the headset:
"Lingchen, boss Lingchen, I'm responsible for luring Liang Wei, the one who finally lured the mad dog here. Since you're responsible for shooting and killing the target, you must shoot accurately. I don't want to be bitten on the butt by a crazy mad dog."
The other person's tone of voice was so funny that Lin Guantang couldn't help laughing. He coughed lightly and said in a serious tone:
"Don't worry, I guarantee you'll complete the mission. The prerequisite is that you, Senior Liang, don't get caught by the prey before you reach the killing point. Otherwise, I can't save you."
The soft, hazy laughter sounded like a furry animal cub tickling their ears, making the other people in the group feel a little uneasy.
On the one hand, he felt that the younger brother's voice was too soft, which was not in line with the tough style of the Central Military Academy, nor with Huo Shizhen's solemn style. He wondered how they were connected. On the other hand, he felt that the younger brother's voice was quite pleasant, which was out of place in the military academy. It was like a spring breeze and drizzle suddenly blowing in a storm, which made people feel relaxed involuntarily.
It really disrupts the morale of the army. It really disrupts the morale of the army.
Leaving aside the others, at least the team member responsible for luring the target into the trap, Liang Wei, spoke again, his voice lowered as if infected, with a rather affected tone, giving the others goosebumps.
"Got it. Happy working with you, junior."
Unfortunately, Lin Guantang did not have the special ability to read minds from a distance, and he did not care about the change in the man's tone before and after. After he finished speaking, he stopped talking and concentrated on checking the equipment he was carrying.
Ding Ruize, who was following him to provide follow-up support, chuckled in appreciation when he heard him promise to complete the mission without hesitation:
"You're quite confident for your first mission."
"First of all, this isn't the first mission, and secondly—"
Lin Guantang fiddled with the gun in his hand and aimed at the open space below - that was the shooting position after the target was lured in. He always had to find the best feel and shooting direction.
While answering Ding Ruize's words:
"I can't be unconfident. Others have entrusted their lives to me and I can't afford to make any mistakes. If I don't believe I can hit the target, how can I guarantee that I can complete the mission?"
Ding Ruize hummed, and then stopped talking to disturb his attention——
Lin Guantang was not that nervous, but Ding Ruize was quite worried, even more so than when he first went on a mission. Putting aside the fact that he was responsible for ensuring Lin Guantang's safety, he was after all his apprentice, and the first time he showed the results of his training in front of others was not much different from the tense scene of a mentor taking a student to a defense.
However, just like sometimes, a mentor will stand up for his students when they face difficulties, he came here to cover for Lin Guantang - after Lin Guantang made a mistake in shooting, he would finish the job.
Ding Ruize turned the gun in his hand, his posture seemed much more relaxed than Lin Guantang, who was on full alert. He did not look like he was participating in the mission, but rather like an irrelevant spectator - if Lin Guantang did not make any mistakes, then it would not be wrong to say that he had come here as an irrelevant spectator.
The waiting time is always long and boring, and then when the target appears, all the energy and attention must be mobilized in an instant. After hearing the dog barking that comes and goes from his ears, without waiting for the team members to give any prompts in the headphones, Lin Guantang has completely entered the situation, staring at the entrance with his nerves tense.
Not long after, a man wearing the same pitch-black combat uniform came running in quickly. In less than ten seconds, accompanied by the heart-shaking barking of a dog, a pitch-black, huge dog as tall as half a man, and as big as a mountain came running in.
Even though he had read the information and knew that the prey to be shot this time was the product of experimental mutation, Lin Guantang was still shocked when he saw a big one appear before his eyes - he really didn't expect it to be so huge.
In comparison, senior Liang Wei, who lured this large and fierce dog, seemed insignificant.
After Liang Wei ran into the building, he braked suddenly, turned around and pointed a dagger at the mad dog chasing him. Although he knew that someone was waiting to hunt him in secret, he still didn't dare to relax - it was better to say that it was because he had no way out at all that he was even more nervous.
Because even though this big dog was mad and attacking indiscriminately, its IQ seemed to be still online. It was hiding in an excellent hiding place, making it impossible to find a chance to shoot it. The only way to take action was to lure it out of its nest and provoke it to chase after you.
The mad dog probably realized that the prey had nowhere to escape, so it slowed down its pace, paced back and forth, and confronted its target face to face.
But in fact, the confrontation lasted less than a minute. The mad dog took a step back and wandered around, then bent its body, roared, flew up, opened its bloody mouth, and pounced on its target.
Liang Wei's brain was flooded with calls of "help!", and while shouting in his mind, "Junior, help me, why haven't you shot me yet?", he subconsciously tried to draw his gun, but it was obviously too late. The opponent pounced on him too fast, and by the time he pulled out his gun, he would have been killed already - although he was wearing combat uniform, it would be of no use in the mouth of such a huge mad dog, and even if he didn't die, he wouldn't be able to survive much longer.
Before he could touch the gun, he heard another sharp sound coming rapidly through the air, and the next moment, a large amount of blood bloomed in front of his eyes like a waterfall.
Liang Wei froze in place, a little slow, then raised his head and looked in the direction the bullet came from.
Amidst the rolling dust and desolate background, a man dressed in black still holds a gun in his hands, as if he is as still as a mountain.
But in fact, his figure is not majestic, and compared with the people around him, he even looks a little thin.
But just like a thin sword unsheathed, people will not judge the thinness of the sword, but will be frightened by its sharp edge.
So even though the person next to him is tall, he still makes people focus all their attention on him. It's just that his head and face are covered, so people can't see his appearance for the time being. I think he should have a similarly sharp face.
Liang Wei really wanted to run up immediately to see his true face, but he was too tired after running all the way here. After the danger was over, he relaxed all over and didn't want to take a step anymore. He just wanted to sit down and rest.
It was just a moment—
Lin Guantang was not really not worried at all about making mistakes, but when he told himself over and over again that the consequence of a mistake would not put him in danger, but that his companions might die, his mood strangely calmed down completely.
Especially when the target came into view, he forgot all the existence around him, as if everything had turned into nothingness. Only every shaking hair of the mad dog was clearly reflected in his eyes and appeared in his mind.
So when he was sure that he had found the perfect shooting opportunity at that moment, he pulled the trigger without any hesitation. The bullet flew out of the muzzle and penetrated the huge dog's brain at an absolutely precise angle, turning its excited roar of hunting prey into a more shrill and deafening wail in an instant.
The mad dog opened its bloodshot eyes, twisted its bleeding head unwillingly, and looked towards Lin Guantang fiercely. Its ferocious eyes almost turned into a entity, as if it wanted to tear Lin Guantang to pieces.
But in the end, it fell to the ground unwillingly - there was a loud bang, and it fell to the ground, raising a layer of dust that flew in the sunlight, and bright red blood flowed all over the ground.
Liang Wei finally relaxed and fired another shot at the heart of the mad dog, which was still dying with its eyes open. After confirming that the target was completely dead, he collapsed and sat down to rest. He raised his head and looked in the direction of Lin Guantang, then gave him a thumbs up.
At the same time, they spoke in the group channel, with a rather excited tone:
“Lingchen, you’re really awesome, but next time it’s okay to shoot a little earlier. You scared me to death, and I thought you were too scared to shoot.”
Lin Guantang exhaled, shook his still numb wrist, and replied calmly:
"Didn't I tell you? I will complete the mission, but Senior seems to have no trust in me."
"It's my fault, Senior. I trust you too much now."
Liang Wei readily admitted his mistake, and then excitedly extended an invitation:
"After the mission is over, add me in private chat. Let's team up to do the mission next time!"
"Hey, hey, this mission isn't even over yet, why are you guys already planning on doing it next time? So what happened? Is Lingchen's shooting really that accurate?"
"It's more than accurate, it's like the reincarnation of the Gun God!"
The relevant video footage had not been sent back yet, so the others just listened to Liang Wei's oral narration through headphones - Liang Wei was still in an excited mood. To Sishuwuru, Liang Wei was also the one who saved his life, so of course he was generous with his praise, but some exaggerations were inevitable.
It’s too exaggerated to say that the God of Guns is still alive.
Lin Guantang showed a helpless expression, but he was not in the mood to say anything humble for the time being - although his tone of voice was very relaxed, in fact, Lin Guantang's hands were still shaking. He took several deep breaths before he calmed his rapidly beating heart.
Before coming here, Lin Guantang urgently practiced some moving shooting, but the training without danger was different from the feeling of actually being in the middle of shooting ferocious prey. Especially when he saw the real blood flowers exploding in front of his eyes, Lin Guantang felt as if his state of mind was refreshed.
There was also a kind of belated fear - looking down at the lifeless prey lying in a pool of blood on the ground, Lin Guantang felt a trance and thought, "Did I really kill it?"
Ding Ruize looked at his movements, chuckled, and said:
"It's inevitable to be nervous when doing something for the first time. Being nervous afterwards is better than being nervous during the shooting, which is a good sign."
Lin Guantang pulled the corner of his mouth and sighed:
"Actually, I'm kind of glad I didn't choose the second mission."
Because this time he was facing a mad dog chasing people, it was the primitive impulse of wanting to save people in a hurry that made him shoot so quickly. He was not sure whether he would make a mistake in the middle of shooting if he was facing a living person.
But, perhaps it is better to say that what you think will come true - not long after Lin Guantang had this thankful thought, he heard news about the second task through his headphones.
Because the task was completed and declared over, the team members relaxed and started chatting - the focus of the chat was, of course, the identity of the "Lingming Junior".
"You're talking so loud, could it be that Lingchen is one of the four S-rank freshmen today?"
"Report, the four S-class are not in our mission team this time, and the shooting level and pheromone level evaluation do not seem to have much to do with each other."
"So Lingchen is actually an ordinary A? Haha - I knew it. We ordinary alphas are no worse than those S-class in the military academy. Don't bully the poor young man! Lingchen is optimistic about your counterattack. You can punch the S-class seniors and juniors, kick the former and new emperors of the Executive Department, and become the true king of the common people in the Central Military Academy."
Lin Guantang: ...
Wait, we are still on a mission. Wouldn't it be too relaxing for you to just chat like that without paying attention to others?
Besides, the person involved was still present. Is it really okay to just ignore his opinion and imagine some counterattack scenario? And it's too exaggerated.
If he is really a student of the Central Military Academy, then saying these things is simply to draw hatred and offend people on his behalf... In short, I ask you, those who are just watching the fun and making trouble, to stop it.
"Enough is enough."
Someone in the earphones spoke out Lin Guantang's thoughts, but the reason was not the same, but——
"Be careful you're too happy, or the people from Group B will see you and beat you up."
"Why are they beating us? Could it be that—they're angry because their mission went wrong?"
"It seems the enemy cunningly used a substitute technique. The mission executor didn't make the right choice and let the real target escape. Now they are being tracked by the entire city. It is said that they ran towards our mission point. You should see someone chasing them soon."
"How pathetic! I promise I won't laugh out loud when I see this. Regardless of whether I can catch up or not, a 5,000-word review should be on its way."
"Perhaps we should be thankful that the Great Demon King is no longer in the Executive Department, otherwise extra training would be unavoidable."
"Do you think you can escape? It's said that another reason for letting the real target escape is that they drank too much and became confused, leading to a misjudgment. Mission rules are worthless when the mission is successfully completed, but if the mission fails, they become a complete torture kit. You'll be criticized to death by the Discipline Department. Moreover, the Discipline Department is now led by the Big Devil. With the Big Devil's methods, he'll probably make you drink until you vomit in front of him. I'll be sick to my stomach the sight of alcohol for the rest of my life."
"It sounds like we're even more unlucky. Luckily, we completed our mission successfully, otherwise we would be the ones waiting to die in despair."
"We really should be thankful for Lingchen's accurate shooting skills, which is why we are so relaxed now."
"I pay my respects to Master Lingchen! He saved us all with a single fatal shot. I don't want to write a self-criticism. This thing even has to be systematically checked for plagiarism... It's simply the most painful thing in the world!"
Lin Guantang couldn't help but frown as he listened to the conversation coming from the headphones.
Before he felt happy about the compliments from everyone in the headphones, he first noticed another subtle point -
When he heard that the escaped target might run over here, he thought everyone's reaction would be to help intercept the target, but he never expected that they were all just watching the fun.
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